Hope you’re hungry!
Revolution Brewing – Logan Square, Chicago
Named in honour of the rise of craft breweries around the U.S., Revolution Brewing‘s Logan Square brewpub celebrates all things innovative, from the over 50 different styles of beer they brew a year to the deliciously creative nibbles on their menu. Housed in an interesting old building with a tin ceiling, the interior of Revolution Brewing is almost entirely wood, giving it a hand-hewn, modernly rustic feel. Their beer is some of the best I’ve encountered stateside, particularly their English-style summer ale Cross of Gold, and their menu is full of delightfully weird concoctions as well as downhome classics. If I’m really being honest about why exactly I loved Revolution Brewing so much, besides their wonderful beer of course, I can sum it up in just two words: vegan Reuben. To summarise, Revolution Brewing serves English-style craft ale and vegan Reubens. A truly magical place indeed.
Joy Burger Bar – Greenwich Village, New York City
After a couple of beers, even a vegan will crave a burger every now and then. New York City is rife with burger bars, and thankfully many of them offer veggie burgers, but they’re not always worth writing about. In fact, many times I feel that the veggie burgers offered in certain burger bars are simply appeasement cases. And it’s quite a curious thing, because the Joy Burger Bar serves a common veggie patty, one that I’ve eaten at other places before and have never been compelled to write about. So why am I writing about this particular one?
Another trend that burger bars usually follow is offering about a dozen delicious-sounding toppings, only to charge for each one you can’t resist to choose. But the Joy Burger Bar offers all their toppings for free, which is practically unheard of in my experience. My veggie burger was then transformed into a delicious jalapeño burger with sauteed onions and spicy mango chutney, which was of course sided with sweet potato crisps with maple syrup for dipping.
The Frontier Restaurant – Albuquerque
The Frontier is a mainstay of old Albuquerque. Established in 1971 directly across from UNM, the Frontier probably hasn’t been renovated in its entire history. Imagine orange tile floors, faded photographs of the desert and paintings of Hollywood cowboys… or you could just imagine yourself eating in a Quentin Tarantino film. The Frontier is basically old school fast Mexican food, with the queue stretching through the length of the building. Flashing red signs signify your wait time. Order, have a seat on the chipped plastic chairs, and wait for a pile of New Mexico green chili on burritos, tacos, enchiladas, you name it. It’s delicious, made by real people, cheap, and not at all healthy.
